One of the final steps in the manufacturing process of a raw strip of steel involves trimming opposing elongated edges of the raw steel strip to make the edges of the raw steel strip uniform and to make a parent steel strip of a desired width. To trim the opposing elongated edges, the raw steel strip is fed to a cutting mechanism. Typically, the cutting mechanism has a cutting device disposed on each side of the raw steel strip. Each cutting device is positioned inside the opposing elongated edge of the raw steel strip. The cutting devices are adjustable relative to each so that the desired width of raw steel strip can be cut. Once the cutting devices are arranged, the raw steel strip is fed to the cutting mechanism which trims the opposing elongated edges of the raw strip to produce a parent steel strip.
A major problem with the process described above is that the raw steel strip being fed into the cutting mechanism can "drift" away from its original alignment. Eventually, the raw steel strip may become so misaligned that one of the cutting devices is no longer positioned over the raw steel strip and thus is no longer trimming one of the elongated edges.
Prior methods for correcting misalignment of the raw steel strip being trimmed are time consuming and difficult and often result in a substantial amount of raw steel strip being wasted before misalignment is corrected. For example, one method of correcting misalignment and re-establishing cutting on both sides of the raw steel strip involves readjusting the positioning of the cutting devices to a much narrower width than desired for the parent steel strip, resuming feeding of raw steel strip to the cutting devices, and slowly expanding the distance between the cutting devices as the raw steel strip is being trimmed. The main problem with this method is that a sizeable amount of raw steel strip must be trimmed before the cutting devices have returned to their original locations.
Another method of correcting misalignment and re-establishing trimming on both sides of raw steel strip involves stopping the cutting mechanism and feeding of the raw steel strip, cutting by hand a first large notch in the raw steel strip a substantial distance upstream of the cutting mechanism, moving to the other side of the raw steel strip and cutting by hand a second large notch on approximately the opposing side of the first large notch, and then feeding the raw steel strip to each cutting device to allow the raw steel strip to return to its original alignment and to re-establishing trimming on both sides.
However, this method also has several problems. Although less raw steel strip is wasted in this process than in the previously described process, a substantial amount of raw steel strip is still wasted because access to make the cuts for notches in the raw steel strip upstream of the cutting mechanism is limited and is a substantial distance from the cutting mechanism. Additionally, for the process to work the first and second notches have to directly oppose each other. However, achieving this alignment is very difficult because the operator has to "eyeball" the cuts from each side. Accordingly, the first and second notches are made substantially larger than necessary to ensure an overlap portion where first and second large notches directly oppose each other. Unfortunately, the size of the first and second notches is sometimes sufficient to fatigue the raw steel strip and cause a break. Further, the above-described process is extremely time consuming and dangerous to the operator.